Petunia plant named ‘Dopetsweefiflas’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Dopetsweefiflas’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounding to hanging plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large red purple and greyed purple bi-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia X hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPETSWEEFIFLAS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia X hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dopetsweefiflas’.

The new Petunia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, freely branching and early-flowering Petunia plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Petunia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT-0454, not patented. The new Petunia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the mutation parent in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dopetsweefiflas’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dopetsweefiflas’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounding to hanging plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large red purple and greyed purple bi-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the mutation parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Petunia have red purple and greyed purple bi-colored flowers whereas plants of the mutation parent selection have purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of Petunia X hybrida ‘Dueswejofa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,756. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia and ‘Dueswejofa’ differ primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are slightly taller than plants of         ‘Dueswejofa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger leaves than plants of         ‘Dueswejofa’.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Dueswejofa’ differ in flower         color as plants of the new Petunia have red purple and greyed         purple bi-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Dueswejofa’ have         red purple and dark purple bi-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia plant. The photograph (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dopetsweefiflas’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia X hybrida ‘Dopetsweefiflas’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Petunia X hybrida identified as code number TT-0454,     not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 155B in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright and mounding to             hanging plant habit; freely branching habit with about six             to eight primary lateral branches each with about seven             secondary branches developing after pinching; moderately             vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 30             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 30             cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 30 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 25 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture and luster.—Pubescent; semi-glossy.         -   Color, developing and fully developed.—Close to 144A to             144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering,             opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 4.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Spatulate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent;             leathery; semi-glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B;             venation, close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 143C; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; firm. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single salverform flowers             arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually             about 45 open flowers and flower buds per plant at one time;             flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously during             the spring and summer in Germany; early flowering habit,             plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three             days on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.9 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Rippled; semi-glossy.             Color: Close to 187A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 4.5 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.1 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from             throat): About 2.3 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.2 cm. Petal             shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Obtuse. Petal margin:             Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Rippled, glabrous; semi-glossy. Throat             texture and luster: Rippled, glabrous; semi-glossy. Tube             texture and luster: Rippled, pubescent; semi-glossy. Color:             Petal lobe, when opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Center, close to 187A; towards the margins, close to N57A;             venation, close to 202A; with development, center color             becoming closer to 187B. Petal lobe, when opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 79A; venation, close to 79A;             color becoming closer to 187A with development. Flower             throat: Close to 187A; venation, close to 187A. Flower tube:             Close to 83A; venation, close to 200A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused at the base forming a             tubular star-shaped calyx. Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Rounded. Base: Decurrent.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, when opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 143A. Color, when             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 143B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Filament length: About 1.6 cm. Filament color: Close to             155C. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther             color: Close to 156A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             Close to 112D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 2.7 cm. Style length: About 2.3 cm. Style             color: Close to 145A and 79B. Stigma diameter: About 2 mm.             Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary             color: Close to 143C. Fruits: Quantity produced per plant:             About ten during the flowering season. Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter: About 5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 161C. Seeds: Quantity per flower: About 80. Length:             About 0.2 mm. Diameter: About 0.2 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 200A. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain, temperatures     ranging from about 3° C. to about 28° C. and to be suitable for USDA     Hardiness Zone 11. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Petunia have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Petunia plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Dopetsweefiflas’ as illustrated and described. 